Preprints

What are scientific pre-prints?

Preprints are early versions of journal articles before they have gone through the peer-review process and been officially published. As the peer-review process can take over a year, preprints are a good source of very current research. You must evaluate each article very carefully before using. Your evaluation should include:

determining the expertise and affiliation of the author(s)

the appropriateness of the research methods for the type of study

how the research fits in with what you already know (or can find out) about the field.

What is Peer review?

Peer review is a process in which experts in the field analyze and evaluate a journal article or conference proceeding based on the research methods, research conducted, conclusions and overall quality of the article before it is accepted for publication

What are E-prints?

E-prints are scientific or technical documents exchanged electronically to facilitate communication of new research among scientists and researchers. E-prints include technical communications and scholarly papers that have been submitted for publication. E-prints may or may not have gone through the peer-review process.

Note: There may be multiple versions of an article including retractions, addendum, and comments.